Gov. Paul LePage is recommending increasing the salary for future Maine governors to $150,000. That change would not impact LePage’s salary, but it would definitely impact his retirement compensation.

Retirement compensation for Maine governors is three-eighths or 37.5 percent of the current governor’s salary when the former governor leaves office or reaches age 60. Gov. LePage’s retirement package would go from $26,250 to $56,250 annually. I think that many people about to retire would love to have a $30,000 increase in their retirement pay.

I understand that $70,000 sounds like a low salary for a governor but, in Maine, the governor gets a house and transportation. I presume that governors do not have to pay the utility bills for living in the Blaine House. I could not find information about other allowances for staffing the mansion or feeding the governor and the governor’s family.

The salary may need to be increased, but Maine’s minimum wage should be increased before the governor’s salary is increased by $80,000 and Gov. LePage’s retirement compensation is more than doubled.

I would suggest that, perhaps, an increase be done incrementally — $10,000 or $15,000 every four years until the pay reaches $120,000.

Susan Lea, Poland